Social Networks have been around for many years. Online social networks are making a big splash now that they come out of the middle school population and into the mainstream. The Active Rain Network is an amalgamation of blogging, social networking and viral marketing. The combination of all empowers users on so many levels. Addiction to the rain has become common place; many of us have been to the Betty Ford Center and will probably go back. I don't know what it is about Active Rain, but one day my family will have to pry my cold, dead hands off the keyboard...

Until then folks you are going to have to put up with me. My campaign of the day is to encourage the folks in the deep dark shadows of Lurkdom to come out. Lurkdom is a crummy place to live. It's a one-way street, dark and dingy. Nobody knows you are there. Hanging out in Lurkdom, you grow up lopsided. Your body gets nourished from all the good information on Active Rain, but your mind doesn't grow, it atrophies into neutral, never going forth again.

If you are worried about coming out of Lurkdom, don’t despair. There are plenty of resources here on Active Rain that will help you find your way. In addition, you will find many people who are here, ready willing and anxious to help you. So what are you waiting for? Here’s how to get started:

Pick a topic ~ choose something you are familiar with

Write a blog ~ it doesn't have to be long

Read it out loud ~ spell check it

If you are unsure about how to publish it on Active Rain read some tutorials

Don't worry if your first blog isn't a master piece. It is more important that you get started. Once you have gone through the process a few times, it will become like second nature to you.

Next thing you know you will be making a journal with all the topics you would like to blog about, just so you can remember them all! Trust me, it WILL happen!

You will also find times when you can't string a bunch of words together to make a sentence, much less one coherent thought. We all hit that wall, so don't worry about it. Right now, it's time for you to start.

HOW TO GET NOTICED

After you have published a few blogs, hopefully you will get comments on them. If you don't, keep trying. We all didn't start with a million comments coming out of the shoot. In fact my first blogs went unnoticed for a long time. Of course back then we had a couple hundred people not the thousands we have now!

Here are a few hints on how to get noticed:

Leave comments on other blogs. Follow up on how they respond to you. Making friends is the best way to get noticed.

Join a group or two or ten. The Newbie Group is a perfect place to start. Getting in on the same level as others is instant affiliation.

Show up regularly

Build your profile, be sure it is clear who you are, what you do and where you do it.

Use a photo we can identify as you.

Once you get in the swing of writing a blog, you will progress to a higher level. Start adding links, photos and items of interest. Be sure not to copy other's work, unless of course you like being ridiculed and ostracized in public.